"Paul!" My voice sliced through the tension, and I arched my brows in a mixture of frustration and exasperation. "I don't need your phony care. You are just like your mother, a fake person."
My words hung in the air like a pendulum frozen at the apex of its swing. Paul's jaw tightened, and his fists clenched at his sides. His eyes bore into mine, a mixture of anger and pain swirling within their depths. Without warning, he lunged forward, his hands finding purchase on my arms as he pulled me closer, perhaps more forcefully than he intended.
My breath caught in my throat as pain shot through her arms, and an involuntary whimper escaped my lips, "Aw!"
Paul's grip slackened immediately, his anger momentarily replaced by concern. "Elena!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with anger.
